A few weeks ago, I was brushing Bo and felt a knot on his right ear. I looked closer, thinking it might be a large tick, but no it was something else. It looked like a tumor. I showed it to Mel and he thought it was a tumor also. We talked and I remembered that Giant schnauzers tend to get cancers, usually between their toes. Mel and I checked but couldn’t find anything between his toes but we decided to get this checked out. The next day we took him to the vet. The vet looked at it and let the other vets at the clinic look and they said it needed to come out. They would remove it and biopsy it.

It was like a very large marble and flesh colored and bumpy. We scheduled the surgery in two days and Mel took him in early Thursday morning and left him. They didn’t keep him overnight and Mel picked him up later that day. He was still pretty woozy and Mel had to help him get in the back seat. He weighs 130 pounds so that isn’t very easy.

When he got home, we had to put the “cone” on his head to prevent him from scratching at the incision spot. He now has a small notch out of that ear and had several stitches. We would hear about the biopsy later. They also checked his feet good and he had no bumps or issues there.

An image of Boaz wearing the cone of shame

Bo hated the “cone of shame”, we could tell. He kept bumping into furniture and things because his spatial sense was messed up. He even had trouble drinking and eating with that over his head.

We did give him the pain meds they sent for the first night and he seemed pretty comfortable. He was a very good doggie, and we never saw him trying to scratch at his ear. After the first day, we started leaving the cone off when we were with him. We put it on when we were gone.

A couple of days later, we heard from the vet that the biopsy showed no issue, it was benign. That was good news. We were to keep him quiet and out of the lakes for 10 days to let the wound heal.

Boaz with the kayak club

So the next couple of Tuesdays, we didn’t go to the group kayak floats because we knew Bo would get very upset if we loaded up and left him at home. He loves to go kayaking with us and swimming in the lake is so much fun for him.

When we get to the lakes and start unloading our kayaks, Boaz always checks out those already there and then gets in the water and starts barking for us to hurry up and get in the water too.

There are a couple of other dogs that come and ride in the kayaks with their owners, but Bo will not stay in our kayaks, he loves to swim and its so much cooler for him with that heavy coat also.

Boas following Mel’s kayak

Mostly Boaz likes to follow Mel around and gets upset if he “loses” him and can’t see Mel. Bo swims slower than we paddle the kayaks, so either Mel or I stay back with him while the other kayakers go ahead all around the lake.

When we are with Bo, Mel or I will go a little ways around the lake and then cut across so we can meet up with the rest of the group on their way back. Usually, our floats are 1-1.5 hours long and Bo swims the entire time. He gets a little rest when we go close to the shore so he can walk instead of having to swim.

Boaz is a great swimmer, but we got him his own lifevest just in case he gets too tired. He wears it gladly and gets excited when we put it on him. He knows he is on his way to water with us. You can read about the life vest I ordered for him here.

Swimming is a good exercise for him also as he stays in the water as long as we do, swimming alongside our kayaks. The kayaking group has all come to know and like him; he gets lots of attention from them. The nights after our kayak floats, Bo gets in his bed early and konks out – he is so worn out.

Giant Schnauzers and Health Issues

I’ve been researching health issues with the Giant Schnauzer breed and found these articles:

I’ve been researching health issues with the Giant Schnauzer breed and found these articles:

Comment

Thanks for looking at my site and coming to this page. I would love for you to leave any questions or comments below. In addition, I’m open to new topics to research and comment on as they pertain to my own health and experience living with diabetes. Please share your interests and questions in your comments. I also love to hear others stories about how they handle their own diabetes issues. I will be sending out a monthly newsletter starting in the Spring of 2018. If you would like to receive that email newsletter, you can sign up here.

Product:

Cost:

$31.99 on Amazon

Manufacturer:

Vivaglory

Where to Purchase:

I purchased this from Amazon online and received it in two days as part of my Amazon Prime Membership, which I love. I purchased this in May of 2017 before we even purchased our kayaks, so I could make sure it fit my dog, Boaz, before we started floating with him.

Additional Images

An image of a dog life vest

An image of dog swimming with life vest

An image of dog swimming with life vest

Details

SIZES: I love there are several sizes available (5 in all). Sized SX to XL. They provide a sizing chart to use to pick your size. This is aAvailable in 5 sizes, ranges from XS to XL. Please kindly read the HOW TO MEASURE & SIZE CHART illustration in the product pictures to get a right size for your beloved dog. Using the chart, I was able to pick the correct size for Boaz on the first try. He wears an XL. He’s a Giant Schnauzer, 2.5 years old and weighs around 125 pounds.

COLORS: You can order in several colors which are nice. I wanted something light and bright for Boaz. I also really like the reflective portions of the vest so he can be more easily seen while in the water.

SAFETY: My Boaz is a big, strong dog and the extra padding works well to give him lots of buoyancy and provides more safety. The system is fastened around both belly and neck and has velcro, so the vest is well secured. When we kayak with our Paddler Club, We are often on the water for an hour or more. Bo has no trouble paddling with us for 1.5 and even 2 hours once. He refuses to sit in my kayak and wants in the water all the time. We give him breaks by going close to shore where he can walk some in the shallow water. After a summer of swimming/kayaking with us, he has never gotten in trouble in the water. He is a tired dog when we get home and sleeps very well that night for sure.

CONVENIENCE: I like the handle on top which you can grab if you need to rescue. The D-ring is great for when I need to attach a leash. Everything is adjustable so you can get a good fit.

My Review Comments:

I came across this vest quickly on Amazon and read all the specs and the reviews which were great. This product came in quickly with my Prime Amazon Subscription. I really like the 2-day delivery. I tried it on Boaz immediately and it fit him great. I was so happy because sometimes I have to return and order again when trying to fit items on him.

Plus, it was easy to figure out how to strap in him it. The length was good and the straps worked out fine with a little adjustment. I was also happy there didn’t seem to be any spot that would rub and hurt him. Extra padding is included to help with buoyancy too. I liked the fact there were reflective components to help him be seen in the water. I liked the handle on top because he can swim alongside my kayak and I can give him a few minutes break by lifting him just a little – this gives him a brief rest. I liked the D-ring at the top too so I can attach a leash either in or out of the water. I’ve purchased a 15-foot leash that I can attach and give him a little “tow” on the water to help him keep up with me.

I was June before we purchased our kayaks and tested this on him in the water. We put our kayaks in at the nearest lake to us, Lake Norwood and spent about 1.5 hours on the water. Boaz decided he would rather swim in the water than ride in my kayak with me. So he swam a long time, with just a couple of breaks on the shore.

He swam easily and his head was above water all the time. We took him out again a few days later and he was swimming in the water almost 2 hours with no problems. I’m pretty happy with this vest and how well it fits and helps him when he is swimming.

I love all the exercise and fun he is getting in the water. He really loves it because it is so cool in these summer months of Arkansas. The only problem I have is that he smells like a wet water dog much more now.

I’m giving this life vest a FIVE-STAR rating, the highest possible rating since it worked out extremely well for me and my dog.

Comment

Thanks for looking at my site and coming to this page. I would love for you to leave any questions or comments below. In addition, I’m open to new topics to research and comment on as they pertain to my own health and experience living with diabetes. Please share your interests and questions in your comments. I also love to hear others stories about how they handle their own diabetes issues. I will be sending out a monthly newsletter starting in the Summer of 2017. If you would like to receive that email newsletter, you can sign up here.

Mel and I picked up our two kayaks this week and yesterday, we took Bo with us to the nearest lake, just down the cliffs from us – Lake Norwood for our first solo “float”.

My kayak’s standup bar

My kayak is a fire-orange Diablo Amigo, which is 12.5′ and very stable. I had a “standup bar” attached so I can pull myself up and down from the seat. The bar is actually for someone who wants to fish standing up in the kayak; but for me, it is a help to get up and down. I have no problem getting in and out of it now. The kayak has room for Bo to ride with me when he wants and if he’s not too rowdy, he won’t tip us over.

Product:

Precision Pet Two-Door Great Crate, Black

Cost:

$87.51 on Amazon

Manufacturer:

Precision Pet

]]>https://livingwithboaz.com/dog-crates-product-review/feed0My Dog Boaz and Life Near the Lakeshttps://livingwithboaz.com/boaz-and-life-near-the-lakes
https://livingwithboaz.com/boaz-and-life-near-the-lakes#commentsSun, 04 Jun 2017 20:12:36 +0000Boaz is now an adult

Boaz is now 2.5 years old and weighs just under 130 pounds. Yes, he has turned into a big boy, even bigger than a normal male Giant Schnauzer. We waited until he was almost two years old before having him neutered so his bone plates would close. The neutering did seem to calm him down a little. He has become nicer around people. Not that he was bad before, but he would sometimes get a little too excited around visitors. Now he calms down pretty quick.

I’ve also begun to let Bo pull me and my wheelchair frequently, especially when I need some help up a slight ramp. He does this very willingly and easily. For now, I’ve been just holding his collar, but I’m going to get a proper harness soon so he can’t be hurt. He walks very fast when pulling me and yet I’ve had little trouble getting him to turn the way I want to go. I take him in Lowe’s and in the tractor supply store and he is great. I’ve taken him in pet stores too, but he does sometimes show a little too much interest in the dog treats. Once, when he was younger and his groomer was at the back of a pet store, I would end up buying a treat he stole every time I took him for grooming. – lol.

]]>https://livingwithboaz.com/boaz-and-life-near-the-lakes/feed2A New Way of Livinghttps://livingwithboaz.com/a-new-way-of-living
https://livingwithboaz.com/a-new-way-of-living#respondTue, 08 Nov 2016 15:48:26 +0000http://livingwithboaz.com/?p=310Moving into Retirement

There has been a lot of changes in our lives the past few months.

Bo has turned 2 years old

Mel has retired

We have sold our White Hall home of 27 years and moved to the Bella Vista home.

Life does have a way of changing, doesn’t it? Mel and I and of course, Boaz, are all adjusting to this new way of life. Our Bella Vista home has a white rock yard and no fenced in area. So Boaz is very much a house dog now. Mel takes him for short walks during the day and we both throw balls for him to run after from our driveway. Our neighborhood is very quiet with very little traffic, which I’m glad for. Mel or both of us together take Bo for long walks around Bella Vista Lake and sometimes other trails (at least Mel does, my wheelchair prevents me from going down some of the trails).

Boaz wading in Little Sugar Creek

A few days ago, we walked around Lake Bella Vista and Mel and Bo went ahead of me. I caught up with them about half way around the lake. Boaz will wringing wet because Mel had let him wade and then swim in Little Sugar Creek. I had my camera and wanted to see that, so we went back to the creek area and Bo had so much fun wading and swimming. I got a few pictures of him swimming.

It looks like Boaz is really a water loving dog. He was so happy in the water that we almost never got him to come out. We decided to take him “swimming” more often.

Helping Pull my Chair

Boaz in Little Sugar Creek

Boaz finally comes out of the creek.

On the way back from the creek, I grabbed Boaz’s collar and he pulled me all the way back to the parking lot, with no problem at all. This was the first time I had let him do that. I though “how cool is this.” Bo seemed to have no problem at all pulling me down the trail. He weighs 115 pounds now and is full grown, so I know this doesn’t hurt him as I’ve read that a dog can pull up to 4 times their own weight. Plus I’m on wheels which makes it easier.

I’m determined to keep training Boaz for obedience and to help me. I really want to teach him to fetch and carry for me. I’ve been reading about how to do that. I plan to blog about that next and hopefully I’ll have a success story for Boaz to add to that blog.

Comments

Thanks for looking at my site and coming to this page. I would love for you to leave any questions or comments below.

Boaz is now 15 months old and each day he is sweeter and has more personality. I’m at home a lot during cold weather because I hate to mess with getting my wheelchair out to the car and loaded up. Mel is still working, so Bo and I spend lots of time together. He follows me around wherever I go, from room to room and even waits outside the bathroom when I potty – he would be in the room with me except my wheelchair blocks him from coming in.

During the day I will open the front door and just leave the screen locked, so he can see out. He loves to lay by the door and see cars and people go by. He loves the UPS guy and has a big dog bark when I have a delivery. One guy loves to pet and play with Bo if I’m outside with him. The other little guy is terrified of him, so I try to put him inside when that one is the delivery man.

When Mel gets home each night, Boaz gets so excited and Mel will let him out and they both go to get the mail together. In the mornings, Mel and Bo will get the newspaper, Bo runs to get it and brings it back to Mel. Bo loves to do that each morning. When the paper is late, both of them get upset.

More Training

I haven’t taken Bo back to the trainer since last spring. Our lives were so busy the last few months, I didn’t even think about it. However, I’m working with him on manners, especially waiting at the door for me to “OK” his going out the door. Also sitting when we fill his food and water dishes. This week he was very helpful in getting something off the floor for me and today I began teaching him to “brace” for me when I transfer from my lift chair to my wheelchair.

I”m also working with him and his greeting people with less enthusiasm. I need Bo to not jump on visitors to our home or coming in the door or even outside in the front yard. This is proving harder but seems like he is calming as he ages.

When we are at our home in the Ozarks, we take Bo to the “Bark Park” and he loves it. But he would rather play with Mel or I and a ball than with the other dogs. He is very good around them and non-aggressive but rarely picks one to run and play with – he likes the people best and visits with each person there.

Comments

Thanks for looking at my site and coming to this page. I would love for you to leave any questions or comments below.

Arkansas is known for its heat and humidity, especially in the summer and early fall. This year our spring was late and the heat in summer began closer to July; but boy did it come in with a bang.

Our Boaz is pretty much an inside dog, going out for walks, play and to potty. This past winter, he loved the snow and ice days and he had a wonderfully thick and beautiful coat which protected him from the cold. In fact, even in winter and in the house, he was always finding the coolest part of the house to lay down and rest. My husband, Mel, takes him out for a short walk each morning and a much longer walk each evening and Bo loves it – he gets more exercise and gets to meet people also while he’s on his walks.

Then here comes summer and with it the heat, into the low 90’s in late June and then up to 98,99 and over 100 in July for days at a time. With humidity of 70-90%, it feels awful. Dogs can become ill and even die in weather like this. In fact, during late June, on one of his walks with Mel, Boaz became disoriented and was even staggering a little, luckily Mel got him water and inside soon, along with a lukewarm soak in the tub; enough that he recovered. After that, I did some research on heat issues with dogs.

Facts about heat stroke and dogs

Signs of heat stroke:

Excess heat can harm your dog quickly (in as little as 20 minutes under the right conditions) and even cause brain damage and death. Dogs can only get rid of internal heat through panting or sweating through their paws which may not be enough to keep them from damage. Watch for these symptoms:

Thirst which is excessive

Heavy painting and fast heart rate

Listlessness and no interest in food

Excess saliva, followed by dry gums as he/she becomes more ill

Vomiting or diarrhea with bleeding

Anxiety and whining and barking along with restlessness

Later symptoms can be disorientation and inability to get up, staggering.

Finally seizures or coma and then death

If your dog begins to exhibit these symptoms, then get he/she out of the heat, give plenty of fluids and maybe even place in lukewarm bath water. If there is no improvement, contact your vet immediately.

Helpful tips to prevent heat stroke or exhaustion:

The heat in a car, even with windows cracked can reach over 100 in just minutes. Even on a mild day of say 73 degrees, the heat can reach over 120 degrees in just minutes. So NEVER LEAVE YOUR DOG IN A LOCKED CAR. If you would be uncomfortable in that car, then do not leave your beloved pet there either. Mel and I always leave the car running now with the AC going if we need to leave Bo in our vehicle to go eat or something and check on him several times during the time we are away.

On long walks:

Take water

Watch for hot sidewalks that may burn your dog’s feet

Its best to choose shady areas to walk your dog

Do not over exercise – when you jog, so does your dog

Trim your dogs coat for summer weather.

Fenced back yard

Be sure to provide your dog with lots of fresh water. I like to put ice cubes in Boaz’s water bowl – he loves them.

Make sure there is shade that your dog can rest under.

Remember during the hottest part of the day, your giant is more comfortable in the house under the AC, just like you.

Make sure your do has plenty of fresh water and don’t mussle him. He needs to be able to drink fully and pant.

You can wet him down or let him in a pool (don’t let him drink treated pool water and rinse it off afterwards) or lake to cool him off.

Even inside, be sure your dog is cool. You can fill bottles and zip bags with ice, wrap in a towel and let him lay down on it to cool off.

Have your Giant groomed and give him/her a summer trim. (we’ve given Boaz two trims so far this summer – one in June and another in July.

Purchase special coverings to keep the heat off

You can also look into special coverings for your giant to help with the heat. This summer, after Bo’s experience with overheating, I did some research on Dog vests that repel the sun. I decided to order a HyperKewl Evaporative Cooling Dog Coat. Bo is 81 pounds and 10 months and I ordered a size large which fits him. It has worked out fine for Bo.

Comments

Thanks for looking at my site and coming to this page. I would love for you to leave any questions or comments below.

– Shirley

]]>https://livingwithboaz.com/summer-heat-and-your-giant-schnauzer/feed2Vacationing with Boazhttps://livingwithboaz.com/vacationing-with-boaz
https://livingwithboaz.com/vacationing-with-boaz#commentsThu, 21 May 2015 03:28:23 +0000http://livingwithboaz.com/?p=265Taking it Easy with Boaz

Image of Bo at the Dog Park

This week, I’ve been vacationing with Boaz and my MIL who is 88 years old. We are in the city of Bella Vista, Arkansas at our vacation/retirement home.

Mel and I purchased the home to eventually retire to and meanwhile we use it as a vacation home. This small city is one of the best in Arkansas to live or vacation in. Located in the Ozark hills almost into Southern Missouri, the area is surrounded by green covered pine and hardwood forests, beautiful mountain lakes and lots of clear flowing streams and waterfalls. For those who are not so into nature and wildlife, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Pea-ridge Battlefield, Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel, the Walnut Historic District of Rogers, the first Walmart store, Razorback football, basketball and other sports are driving distance away.

Visiting the Dog Park

Image of Bo at the Dog Park

Bella Vista has two dog parks within just a few minutes’ drive, one near the Highlands area of Bella Vista and one just into Bentonville.

Today, my MIL and I took Bo to the dog park in Bentonville. It was such a dreary day with rain in the morning and clouds in the afternoon, I wondered if people would be bringing their dogs.

Image of Bo at the Dog Park

We arrived at 5pm and were the only ones there. So we sat on the bench and let Bo run around, then I threw balls for him to retrieve while my MIL sat and shivered in the breeze.

Image of Bo at the Dog Park

After a while the breeze stopped and it wasn’t as chilly for her. About 5:40 people and dogs started to show up. At one point there was Boaz and 5 other dogs. Bo was careful around the other dogs who were running and play fighting. He is 70 pounds and still growing fast and can’t keep up with those small, fleet dogs or jump the walls like they do. So he greets them and tends to follow them around at a slower pace.

Image of Bo at the Dog Park

Finally one dog came up and they began to play together. I was really glad for Bo to get to wrestle with this other dog and have so much fun.

We stayed till 6:30pm and Bo seemed pretty tired. Soon after we arrived back home and he finished his supper, I put him in his crate for the night. He fell asleep instantly.

Exercise

Image of Bo at the dog park

I really wish I could take him to the dog park every day so he would get lots of exercise. At this age, (seven months), he needs to burn lots of energy off to avoid engaging in things he doesn’t need to be doing, like getting my coffee table books off the coffee table and chewing corners, or stealing socks from the laundry basket to chew on, or trying to sneak hot dogs off my MIL’s lunch plate.

I’ve read that one of the main things a Giant Schnauzer needs (especially young ones) is lots of exercise and that’s something hard for me to give him stuck in this wheelchair. When my husband Mel is with us, Mel takes him for two walks a day which is great exercise as well as socialization.

Socialization

Socialization is really necessary for a well-rounded dog, especially one who is slated to become a service animal like Bo. Dogs need to experience lots of different situations and meet lots of other dogs and people so they can learn how to behave around them. Bo really enjoys dog parks, both playing with other dogs and also meeting their owners. Bo always visits with each person at the park and gets lots of petting and attention and he eats it up. People are always saying how pretty he is and asking what kind of dog is he. I’m trying to find other ways to socialize him and taking him to new places. Sometimes its easy, like when he was starting to go after cars on his walks with Mel. For a couple of days I would take him with me in my wheel chair to the end of our driveway (on leash) and we would watch the cars and people go by – I live on a busy street that’s on the way to the park. Every time he would start to even think about reacting to a passing car, I would give the leash a little jerk and say “leave it”. After a couple of days of that, he stopped trying to go after cars. He also got the attention of several different kids walking down the road from the park and they wanted to pet him. So he’ learning to behave with children too.

Comments

Thanks for looking at my site and coming to this page. I would love for you to leave any questions or comments below.

This has been an interesting weekend for both Boaz and Mel and I. After all the rain last week, I was feeling pretty down. I was exhausted from coming back from our vacation, where Bo, myself and my MIL has gone to get away from the house here in White Hall. We had packed up all the house except the kitchen and laundry room for old carpet to be removed and new vinyl plank flooring to be installed.
It looks great, but I’m actually still unpacking and going through stuff. While I’m unpacking, I’m organizing and throwing lots of stuff away. Boaz has been having a field day sneaking around, getting stuff out of boxes and chewing them up.
He’s loving to find papers and old pens which we are finding pieces of everywhere we go. He even tore Mel’s crossword puzzles up and the Sunday paper. For chewing up the paper, he was banished to outside until Mel finished reading every single word on what was left of the paper.

But Bo has also had a great weekend with several long walks and run-jogs with Mel. Bo loves these walks and Mel says he does just fine on them but they both come back with their tongues hanging out.

Image of Boaz in bathtub at six months

Boaz also got another bath Saturday night. He was very good with Mel washing him in the tub. He did a perfect “DOWN” and later a “STAND” so Mel could wash him good. He pretty much took the entire length of the tub. Mel and I both played with him while drying him off and brushing him out. He feels so soft now and smells so good (for a dog that is)!\ Later Mel saw him go back into the bathroom and put both legs back into the tub like he wanted to get back in again – funny! He loves the water.

Then today, Mel and Bo took another nice walk and he got to meet several kids who were walking too and some adults. He loves to meet people and is getting a little calmer when he does. Good thing because he’s getting so big he can be a little scary.

Image of Gus, a red merle australian shepard friend of Bo’s

Sunday night some friends came over with their two dogs, one an 8 month old red merle Australian Shepard. Gus was beautiful and as soon as he saw Bo, he started parking and growling. Bo was curious about both the aussie and the other dog, Bitter. Boax is turning out to be very non-aggressive towards other dogs. He and the aussie keep approaching each other sniffing around and then began to chase and follow each other in the yard. The aussie stopped parking and growling and they were all running and playing together.

This was very good exercise for Bo and I’m sure for the aussie, Gus, also. They will all be tired out tonight.

Gus may come again for some more play-dates and I really think that will be good for both Gus and Boaz, to burn some of that engery off and for more socialization with other dogs.